I left the meeting wondering what Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, who presided over the darkest era in the history of our media, is trying to achieve through this commission of inquiry.
Does it need an inquiry to know that Moyo’s previous stint as information minister saw the forcible closure of many newspapers, rendering countless journalists jobless. Many were hounded out of the country during this era. So for him to seem unaware of the challenges bedevilling the media is hypocrisy at its worst.
Since Moyo returned to the ministry last year, it seems he has changed his tactics and instead of using the stick to cow journalists he is now using the proverbial carrot to charm the media.
And it seems most media practitioners have fallen for his charm offensive hook, line and sinker. The same journalists he recently accused of being uneducated and “brown enveloping seeking” are now falling over each other to give him positive media coverage. Is it out of fear or love? I wonder!
Even some newspapers that suffered violent retribution under Moyo’s first tenure have been giving him positive coverage. But the question now is; does he deserve the support from the same journalists and media houses he terrorised in the past? Has he seen the light? Or is he just using the media to achieve his selfish ends? While some journalists are celebrating his damascene moment, two journalists from the Daily News were recently arrested for criminal defamation, a sad reminder of the draconian media laws that the minister spearheaded a decade or so ago.
As I see it, Moyo has far bigger plans than changing the media landscape and improving the welfare of journalists in Zimbabwe. As we are celebrating how he has handled corruption at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation we should not forget who single-handedly killed the once vibrant national broadcaster.
Yes suspended CEO Happison Muchechetere drew obscene salaries and allowances while the fired board chairman, Cuthbert Dube, turned a blind eye to alleged malpractices. But these two and a few others were just feeding on maggots on a dead ZBC – they surely did not kill it.
Moyo is to blame for the demise of the once lively broadcaster. But he has become an instant hero and was credited for unearthing some of these malpractices. Remember when he was first appointed minister he purged experienced staff and brought in some rookies whom he could easily manipulate for his own ends.
Many nostalgically talk of the yesteryear ZBC, when the likes of Eric Knight, Ezra Sibanda, Brenda Moyo, Tapfuma Machakaire and a host of other senior journalists and presenters were there. Moyo used to interfere with programming – bringing his controversial 100 percent local content policy and feeding us on Hondo Yeminda jingles every 30 minutes on both radio and television.
Those who are lionising Moyo today should spare a thought for hundreds of journalists who lost their jobs during his previous tenure at the same ministry. Whatever he does today does not bring back jobs to hundreds of journalists who were rendered jobless back then. One of my former editors and mentor during my internship at the Daily News, Farai Makotsi, died a pauper following the closure of the Daily News. No amount of sanitising of Moyo will ever bring him back.
To Moyo I would say: while you advised Temba Mliswa to carry his own cross in relationship to the corruption saga you should also carry your cross in connection with the death of ZBC and the media in Zimbabwe. – Andrew Mambondiyani, Mutare
Post published in: Letters to the Editor